Participants pose for a photo in Vientiane on May 12 after signing a Memorandum of Understanding on the improvement of reproductive health services in Bokeo and Luang Namtha provinces.

Australia provides AUD2.89 m to improve reproductive health

More than 500,000 people in remote areas of Bokeo and Luang Namtha provinces, including ethnic communities, will benefit from improved access to reproductive health and sexual rights services under a new project funded by the Australian Government.
The AUD2.896 million project titled “Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights Promotion with New Mechanisms” was launched in Vientiane on May 12 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion, Ministry of Health, and the Family Health Promotion Association.
Funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the project will run from 2025 to June 2028.
It will cover 2 provinces, 8 districts, 8 district hospitals, 70 dispensaries and 303 villages, targeting a population of 512,500 people, 85 percent of whom are members of ethnic groups living in mountainous and hard-to-reach areas.
Deputy Minister of Health Dr Phayvanh Keopaseuth was present at the signing ceremony, joined by the Director General of the Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion, Dr Phonepaseuth Sayyamongkhoun; President of the Family Health Promotion Association, Dr Chansy Phimphachanh; and Ms Vanessa Hegarty, First Secretary for Education and Health at the Australian Embassy.
Also present were senior officials from line ministries, provincial health departments, and representatives from civil society and international organisations.
Dr Phonepaseuth said the initiative supports the National Strategy and Action Plan for Integrated Services for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health 2021–2025.
He noted that it focuses on people-centred service delivery and aligns with national policies promoting gender equality and access to quality health services.
“This project will help remove cultural and social barriers that limit access to essential health services, especially for women, girls, and vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and members of small ethnic groups,” he said.
Dr Chansy thanked the Australian Embassy for supporting the project, saying “We are committed to working closely with the Lao government at all levels to ensure the project is successfully implemented and brings tangible benefits to local communities.”
The new mechanism aims to strengthen local health systems, empower community participation, and ensure equitable access to reproductive health and rights services across the two target provinces.

By Souksamai Boulom
 (Latest Update May 13, 2025)